NHTSA Complaint #11030684 — 2013 KIA RIO

ON AUGUST 22 2017 8:45 PM WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET MY DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, FOR NO REASON CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND RUN OVER A MEDIAN IN THE ROAD. I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT TO AVOID ANY FURTHER INCIDENT AND INSPECT ANY DAMAGE TO MY CAR. WITH THE CAR STILL RUNNING, I WALKED THE PERIMETER OF THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, WITH NO BODILY DAMAGE VISIBLE I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, I WENT TO CHECK ON MY KIA RIO AND FOUND TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL OVER THE GROUND. I CALLED MY INSURANCE AND REPORTED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY SAID I SHOULD CONTACT KIA CORPORATION AND REPORT THE AIR BAG FAILURE I DID AS REQUESTED. THEN HURRICANE HARVEY HIT THE AREA AND DELAYED ANY ACTIONS TAKEN. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK KIA TOWED THE CAR TO THEIR LOT FOR INSPECTION. KIA ASKED WHAT I WANTED, I REPLIED REPAIR OR REPLACE MY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. THEY WROTE A REPAIR COST ESTIMATED AT $9200.00 AND SAID THAT THE AIR BAG WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM AND DENIED MY CLAIM AFTER ANOTHER WEEK PASSED. I HAD TO FILE THE CLAIM ON MY INSURANCE AT THAT TIME AND SEND IT TO ANOTHER SHOP FOR INSPECTION. ANOTHER WEEK PASSED BEFORE MY INSURANCE FILED IT A TOTAL LOSS. AFTER ALL THIS LOST TIME FROM WORK AND RENTAL COST EXPENSES THAT HAVE YET TO BE REIMBURSED. THEN HAVING TO GO FIND A CAR THAT I FEEL WOULD BE TRUSTWORTHY AND DEPENDABLE AFTER THESE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES HAS PROVED TO BE DIFFICULT. REFINANCING ANOTHER CAR INSURING IT. I DON'T FEEL KIA CORPORATION HELD UP THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY IN THIS SITUATION. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT KIA HAD MANY AIRBAG RECALLS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, AND AIRBAG FAILURES IN OTHER KIA AUTOMOBILES ACROSS MULTI-YEAR MODELS.